2017 Toyota RAV4 / RAV4 Hybrid

Practical, pragmatic, but not so peppy.

Overview: Toyota practically invented the compact crossover with the first RAV4 in the mid-1990s, and it’s still a big player in the segment with the fourth-generation RAV4 that has been around since 2012. Like its predecessors, the 2017 RAV4 is a small, car-based SUV with five seats standard (there’s no third row offered in this generation) and either front- or all-wheel drive. Also as it did in the ’90s, the RAV4 competes head-on with the Honda CR-V, although plenty of new entries have popped up in the ensuing years including the Ford Escape, Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, and Mazda CX-5. With merely average performance and relatively plain styling, the current RAV4 isn’t a standout among its competitive set. Even so, the RAV4’s reputation for practicality, comfort, and reliability means it’s giving the CR-V a run for its money in the 2016 sales race: Toyota has sold 286,809 RAV4s through October to the CR-V’s 293,799 units.

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What’s New: As with many other Toyota models, the 2017 RAV4 now has a long list of active-safety equipment as standard on every model. What the company calls Toyota Safety Sense-P consists of forward-collision warning, lane-departure alert, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high-beam headlights.

The RAV4 lineup also reaches a bit higher than before with a range-topping Platinum trim that’s new for 2017. For a lofty price of $35,690 for a front-wheel-drive version (add $1400 for all-wheel drive), the Platinum includes a monochromatic exterior and luxury features such as a heated steering wheel, a power liftgate, and a 360-degree-view camera system.

What We Like: Practicality reigns supreme in the RAV4, as this crossover has a spacious and versatile interior that’s well packaged for carrying people and stuff. The rear seat boasts plentiful legroom and headroom, and it also reclines. The RAV4’s cargo area also has a low lift-over height, making it easy to hoist heavy or bulky items into the capacious 38-cubic-foot hold that grows to 73 cubic feet with the back seats folded flat into the floor. Those interested in the more efficient RAV4 hybrid won’t have to give up much room, since its battery pack takes up only two cubic feet of cargo space.

The RAV4 also has a comfortable and quiet ride, with better noise isolation than some of its competitors, such as the Honda CR-V and the Mazda CX-5. The hybrid model is a relatively rare proposition in this segment—the Nissan Rogue is the only other compact crossover to offer a gas-electric powertrain—and the all-wheel-drive-only RAV4 hybrid yields a useful efficiency improvement for just $800 over an equivalent XLE AWD or Limited AWD gas model.

What We Don’t Like: With lifeless, vague steering and a soft suspension, the RAV4 isn’t much fun to drive, even for a small crossover. Neither the standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder nor the hybrid powertrain provides responsive acceleration, with the hybrid crawling from zero to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds and the RAV4 SE AWD taking 8.4 seconds. While the hybrid at least makes up for its relative sluggishness with an EPA-rated 32 mpg combined, the standard four-cylinder’s highest combined rating of 26 mpg falls short of quicker, better-to-drive competitors such as the 2016 Mazda CX-5 and its 29-mpg number.

Given that higher-trim models cost well into the upper-$30,000 range, the dashboard’s uninspired design and use of hard plastics are dreary. The mostly bland exterior styling doesn’t look so upscale, either, although a refresh for 2016 at least gave the front and rear ends a more contemporary appearance.

Verdict: The Toyota that pioneered its segment now sits in the middle of the pack.